| Sub-title | |
| Author | R Zammit |
| Abstract | Following a national referendum Malta joined the European Union (EU) on the 1st of May 2004 to become the smallest Member State, at the southern most border of the enlarged European Community. As a small island state with a long tradition of medical care it has a sophisticated medical infrastructure that compares very favorably with industrial Western European countries offering a wide scope of treatment as a benefits-inkind health care package. A challenging scenario could develop when the Single European Market rules as applicable to the EU healthcare policy are transposed to the Maltese Health Care System with its unique geopolitical context. Proactively reacting to these challenges necessitates policy makers to consider from various options, the two main ones being: 1. Constrict the offered health care package, and re-dimension the medical infrastructure so as to have a similar situation akin to that of Luxembourg, another small EU Member State with a comparable population base. 2. Build on the existing medical infrastructure in a way to take advantage of the recent EU membership. Malta as an island in the Mediterranean, with a service economy based mostly on tourism, could project itself as an ideal country for Northern European elderly citizens to have an alternative residence. A predilection to this option, or its possible hybrid variations could well succeed in preserving the ‘ethos' of the Maltese Health Care System. To follow this re-crafted strategy, the Maltese Health Care system needs to re-orient to the realities and implications of EU policies in healthcare and contribute in their development at EU level in a manner to derive advantage from their evolution. Recommendations are suggested on how this could be achieved and transform EU membership from a potential threat to the Maltese Health Care System into an opportunistic challenge. |
Published in: | |
| Journal | Malta Medical Journal |
| Volume | 18 Supplement |
| Page | |
| Date | 01/12/2006 |
| Link to journal | |
| Key words | European Union, health care system, health policy |